Vietnam is deploying a 10,000 strong military cyber warfare unit to combat what the government sees as a growing threat of "wrongful views" proliferating on the internet.

Nguyen Trong Nghia, deputy head of the general politics department under the Vietnam People's Military, said that Force 47 will be working proactively against distorted information. This might seem a little odd if you think that most people use their cyberwarriors to hack rival countries and carry out spywork. Our guess is that they will be using the unit for both activities.

The Communist government is currently leaning on YouTube and Facebook to remove videos and accounts seen damaging the reputations of leaders or promoting anti-party views.

Facebook this year removed 159 accounts at Vietnam's behest, while YouTube took down 4,500 videos, or 90 percent of what the government requested, according to VietnamNet News, which cited Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan last week.

The National Assembly is debating a cybersecurity bill that would require technology companies to store certain data on servers in the country.

A subsidiary of Samsung Electronics has written a cheque for $3 billion to boost display module production capacity in Vietnam.

The cunning plan is to lower production costs amid intensifying price competition in the smartphone market.

If Samsung can get its display unit costs down, it might steal a march on its rivals by offering a better quality at a lower price. At the moment, everyone and his dog can do low quality and cheap. Samsung's rival Apple does medium quality and expensive.

The investment by Samsung Display comes on top of a $1 billion it has earmarked for a new OLED display module assembly plant in Bac Ninh province, which began production in the first quarter.

The fresh $3 billion in spending will be spread out over several years until 2020.

Samsung Display's annual capital spending has averaged $3.4 billion in the past three years.

Samsung Electronics, the world's top smartphone maker, in November applied for approval to invest $3 billion in building a second smartphone factory in northern Vietnam.

Samsung continues to be unstoppable and is just about to open a new handset factory to cope with demand.

It is Samsung's second handset plant in Vietnam. Over the weekend the company said that it was in final talks with the Vietnamese government over the establishment of the $700 million factory.

Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV) is considering the northern Vietnamese city of Thai Nguyen, which currently depends on agriculture, as the location for the second plant. Thai Nguyen’s location provides great accessibility to Vietnam’s major cities, a Samsung official said.

Thai Nguyen is some 70 kilometers from the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi and the construction of a set of highways linking Hanoi to regional cities is expected to be completed around 2015. Samsung has been operating a handset plant at the Yen Phong Industrial Zone in Bac Ninh. Since 2009, it has been leading Samsung’s overseas handset plants in terms of production, pumping out 150 million per year, which accounts for one-fourth of the company’s yearly output.

Our today's test subject is Sapphire's HD 6970 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam Special Edition graphics card. As the name suggests, the card comes with a gift - Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam. " Special Edition" means that the card comes in an aluminum case, whereas "Gaming Edition" comes in a standard, cardboard box. We wrote about HD 6970 Battlefield Special Edition back in December, here,so today we'll dissect it for your reading pleasure.

HD 6900 series launched on December 15th and currently offers HD 6970 and HD 6950 cards. Both cards are based on the new Cayman GPU, AMD's second DirectX 11 GPU. Radeon HD 6970 succeeded HD 5870 on AMD's single-GPU throne and it competes against Nvidia's Geforce GTX 570.

As far as clocks go, HD 6970 BFBC2 kept the reference ones. The HD 6970 GPU, a.k.a. Cayman is built in 40nm and the new architecture is based on VLIW4 design. This means that all stream processing units have equal capabilities.

HD 6970 BFBG2 Vietnam Special Edition comes in a Battlefield themed aluminum case, which can later be used to keep cables or connectors. Sapphire was never the company to skimp on gifts and the provided accessories now include a 1.7m HDMI cable, mini-DisplayPort-to-DisplayPort dongle dual molex-to-8pin and molex-to-6-pin dongles, CrossFireX bridge, DVI-to-VGA dongle and of course download voucher for Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam.

Sapphire HD 6970 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam is no different from the reference HD 6970, except for the sticker. The card uses dual slot cooling and the card is 27.3cm long (10.75 inches).

The cooler looks similar to the one used on HD 6800 cards. Unlike HD 6800 boards, HD 6900 series features a backplate, much like HD 5800/5900 series cards, which is probably used to keep PCB from flexing due to the large heatsink used under the shroud.

The I/O panel features two DisplayPort 1.2 connectors, HDMI 1.4a and two DVI connectors (one of them is single-link with a maximum resolution of 1920x1200). By using DisplayPort outputs it’s possible to chain up to six monitors to a single card. To do this you will need either a Multi Stream Transport hub or DisplayPort equipped monitors that support daisy chaining of the monitors together. As far as sound goes, HDMI 1.4a provides Dolby True HD, DTS-HD, AC-3, DTS and up to 7.1 channel audio with 192KHz/24bit output.

Unlike the HD 6800, HD 6900 comes with two CrossFire connectors. This means that you can use four cards in a 4-way CrossFire. The card also features a dual-bios toggle switch that makes bios updates a breeze. Setting 1 is unprotected for user updates, while setting 2 is the protected factory default mode. If you don't flash the card successfully, all you need to do is move the switch to revert to default bios.

The PowerTune feature looks similar to a gimmick used by Nvidia on its GTX 580 card and it looks like this one locks the HD 6970's maximum TDP at 250W.

The TDP, something that has been quite a hot topic recently, is set at 200W for the HD 6950. AMD is currently using three different TDP values and calls them PowerTune Maximum Power, Typical Gaming Power and, of course, Typical Idle Power.

Note that for the HD 6970, Typical Gaming Power is set at 190W, and for the HD 6950 typical gaming power is set at 140W. Idle TDP is set at 20W for the both cards.

HD 6970 relies on Vapor Chamber technology for GPU cooling. Beneath the hood is the Vapor Chamber and a large aluminum heatsink.

HD 6970 Battlefield comes with a total of 2048MB video memory. The GDDR5 memory chips are made by Hynix (model number H5GQ2H24MFR-R0C). They are specified to run at 1500 MHz (6000 MHz GDDR5 effective).

Overclocking capabilities of Sapphire HD 6970 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam is comparable to most other HD 6970 cards. Reference GPUs run at 880MHz and we managed to push it by another 65MHz, to 945MHz. Our overclock involved Sapphire TriXX tweak utility but since the card does not support voltage tweaking, TriXX's voltage sliders were unusable. We used auto fan rpm throughout the test.

Noise.

Unfortunately, we can't quite say we liked the card for its silence as our overclock, modest as it was, made it go really loud. The fan occasionally went so fast that it really made for pretty uncomfortable sessions.

GPU temperatures remain in normal limits and won't exceed 89°C. Our overclock pushed the GPU to 92°C. You can increase the fan rpm and lower the temperatures to below 70°C, but we chose not to test that scenario - the card was simply too loud.

Power Consumption

Radeon HD 6970 consumes around 22W when idle, which is a few W better than GTX 570. Compared to the same card, maximum consumption is also better by about 10W. Of course, Sapphire's card is no different than the reference card so its consumption is basically that of the reference card.

Conclusion

Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam Special Edition comes in an aluminum suitcase and bundled with Battlefield:Bad Company 2 Vietnam. To download the game, you'll have to register in Sapphire's Selected Club and then download the game. However, the bundle itself is pretty rich.

As far as graphics goes, Sapphire's HD 6970 Battlefield is no different than the reference HD 6970, with the sole exception being the sticker. Naturally, performance is great regardless but what else to expect from AMD's fastest single-GPU graphics card. The large 2GB frame buffer helps the HD 6970 keep the high tempo even at ultra-high resolutions. Compared to the GTX 570, which is currently the more affordable deal, the HD 6970 will shine exactly at ultra-high resolutions.

Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam Special Edition is currently available at €358 here. We must admit that this is pretty steep compared to the Gaming Edition version, which comes at €320 here.

Enthusiasts and collectors that are looking for something special will probably find Sapphire's Radeon HD 6970 Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam Special Edition to be interesting. Others who are interested solely in the card and the performance should perhaps consider Sapphire's HD 6970 2GB card instead, which is curently available at €300, and can be found here .

Once again, Electronic Arts has made it known that they want to get the leadership role back in the FPS arena, and a “very exciting” unannounced title is going to help with that. While we know that DICE is working on Battlefield 3 for release later this year, this isn’t apparently what John Riccitiello, CEO of EA, was talking about when he recently made this comment.

EA has made some progress over the past year where it found success with Battlefield Bad Company 2 and the Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam Add-on Pack. It also had some success with the Medal of Honor reboot, but success with that title was not as great as it hoped.

Besides Battlefield 3 (which is expected later this year), EA also has Crisys 2 and Bulletstorm on tap for release this year. We suspect, however, that EA’s CEO was referring to a new title in development at Respawn under the guidance of Jason West and Vince Zampella, formerly of Infinity Ward. While we know that the new title from Respawn will not arrive this year, it is possible that an announcement could be coming at E3 this year and we believe this is the title that Riccitiello was talking about.

While the PC players of the recently released Vietnam expansion pack for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 were able to win the community challenge and complete the 69 million support actions, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players were still working toward getting the Operation Hastings map unlocked.

Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players will have to work no more, as DICE has unlocked the Operation Hastings map for both platforms, although they didn’t achieve the support actions goal. DICE claims that they chose to unlock the Operation Hastings map early, as they wanted to start the New Year off with a bang.

While no exact numbers have been released by either DICE or publisher Electronic Arts on how well the add-on pack for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sold, whispers that we hear seem to indicate that sales have been a bit better than expected for the PC platform and a bit behind what they expected on the Xbox 360; and PlayStation 3 sales have lagged a bit.

Still, if you have not purchased the Vietnam add-on and you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed; we have spent a lot of time over the holiday playing it and we can tell you that it is well with it.

DICE provided a bit of a head start for PC owners of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 by allowing them early access to the new Vietnam add-on. While Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners will have to wait till Tuesday to be able to purchase the add-on, PC fans have already been enjoying it.

The best news is that the DICE add-on for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 appears to be a well done offering that captures the essence of the Battlefield series and shows off the quality of the Frostbite engine. Perhaps the one thing that many will be pleased about is the vehicular combat experience, which is very well done in the add-on. Our favorite new offering was the flamethrower, which offers a new element to game play that we have not seen done this well in the past in other titles.

The four maps that are included do offer the unique feature of being some of the best Battlefield maps that we have seen in a long time, and they are sure to be elevated to classic status over time. The add-on does seem to better take the fight to Call of Duty: Black Ops and it does deliver on EA’s promise to take the fight to the Activision franchise.

The big issue here is whether DICE and EA are able to elevate the buzz to a high enough level to get players to spend the $15 to purchase this add-on. We think that word of mouth will help, as it is a great experience if you are a Battlefield player, but even those who have strayed away might return once they get a look at what the game play in this add-on on has to offer. The Vietnam add-on might be better described as a total conversion experience, as that is what it delivers; and it is well worth putting Black Ops down to get a taste of this excellent game play.

Sapphire marked the launch of HD 6970 in a pretty special way – by introducing a special Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam themed edition of the new card. The card comes in a specially designed aluminum suitcase and is bundled with an mini DisplayPort-to-Display Port converter cable and with an 180cm HDMI cable.

The game itself hasn't launched yet but after registering with Sapphire Selected Club, you’ll be eligible to download the full version of the game on 21st of December, when the game launches. Perhaps the best part is that all this comes at only €30 higher price than reference one.

We have a few scores below and more to come soon, and there is even a chance that some of you might win this card. We will announce the details of our holiday giveaway very soon.

Sapphire HD 6970 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam Limited Edition runs at reference clocks, which isn’t a surprise as HD 6970 cards didn’t quite exhibit serious overclocking capabilities. We've been informed that TriXX support will be released for 6900 series and will support overclocking, fan control, saving settings, etc. However, it is unlikely that it will support voltage changes, since it would conflict with Powertune.

All in all, the HD 6970 is a card that will surely satisfy your performance needs.

Finally, the waiting is over and DICE, in conjunction with Electronic Arts, has confirmed the date for the upcoming Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam add-on pack. While everyone knew the Vietnam add-on was in development for release before the end of the year, it is only known that the actual release date has been confirmed.

PC owners who have Battlefield Bad Company 2 will get a little ahead of the game with the news that the PC version of the Vietnam add-on will be available for purchase and download from both the EA Store and Steam on December 18th. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners will have to wait till December 21st to be able to purchase and download the add-on for their platforms.

According to what our sources are confirming to us, the Vietnam add-on will go for $15 for PC and PlayStation 3 owners, while it will cost 1,200 Microsoft Points, or $15, for Xbox 360 owners.

In the meantime, while players eagerly await the release of the Vietnam add-on (which will add four new maps and period weapons and vehicles for players to experience), DICE is dropping Map Pack 7 later today; it will include two new maps, plus updated versions of Harvest Day and Oasis from the first Bad Company title.

Map Pack 7 will be offered free to those BFBC2 players who registered their VIP codes (which were included with each new purchase of BFBC2). Those who do not have a VIP code will be forced to purchase one to enjoy the new Map Pack 7 offerings as well as additional free DLC content.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini has opened yet another plant in East Asia. Following the opening of a $2.5 billion fab in China on Tuesday, Otellini cut the ribbon on $1 billion assembly and test facility in Ho Chi Minh City.

Otellini told reporters that the new plant was the largest and most advanced test facility in Intel's global manufacturing network. He stressed that the plant would generate thousands of jobs and boost Vietnam's exports.

The 46,000 square meter is twice as large as Intel's other assembly test facilities and it's housed inside Saigon Hi Tech Park, in District 9. We're not sure how the Vietnamese authorities dealt with the aliens though. Intel also made a commitment to assist Vietnam's plans to modernize its education system and foster local innovation.

Of course, it is also worth noting that Otellini has been an outspoken critic of the current US administration and that he, spoken as a true patriot, called for more investment in the US tech industry and the creation of a more business friendly environment in the US. It would appear that Otellini is more at ease doing business in single party states than in the United States.